Conference speakers discussed major issues facing local governments — from how to combat cybersecurity threats to the Internet of Things to the very future of public service. The gathering was an opportunity to learn best practices, see how other public servants are tackling common challenges, and explore innovations occurring in agencies across the nation.

Dealing with the Data Deluge

During one panel, my colleague Steve Ellsworth joined forces with John Correllus, Deputy Chief Information Officer/Chief Data Officer for North Carolina, to discuss how to deal with the deluge of data that faces so many state and local governments.

By their very nature, governments are in the data collection business. There’s no shortage of information available, which gives governments many opportunities to extract actionable insights, positively transform residents’ lives, and improve service delivery. But while all this information can be powerful, it can also overwhelm. Agencies are challenged to reinvent how they handle, leverage, visualize, and present the vast amounts (and varieties) of the information they collect.

During the presentation, Ellsworth and Correllus discussed how to leverage information by using data management tools and analytics to drive faster, smarter decisions. Here’s one tip from the event:

In order to be successful, it’s critical that a data management program is aligned with a government’s missions, goals, priorities. Strong programs always start with a clear understanding of the desired outcomes. When designing strategies and processes, they focus on how they’ll capture results.

Correllus is committed to centralizing North Carolina’s IT department and deploying streamlined, effective, and efficient services. The recently created North Carolina Government Data Analytics Center (GDAC) is working to integrate analytics into agency business decisions and enterprise IT strategy, along with a focus on data management, governance, and data security. GDAC supports data sharing between state agencies, the development of enterprise solutions, and identification of cost savings through fraud and compliance initiatives. These efforts are critical to providing quick, agile, and consistent data content to meet the state’s business needs.